Let DEG Help You Decrease Unwanted “Junk Mail”

 

 

Over the years, you may have noticed an increase in large, slick catalogs proliferating your mailbox.  A few of these catalogs may be welcome, but the majority are unsolicited, unwanted and a tremendous waste of natural resources.

 

Businesses make enormous profits selling your name to mail order companies that solicit your business by mail.  This process can result in the creation of several derivations of your name.  Since most mail order companies do not check for duplicate addresses on their lists, people often receive duplicate catalogs – one for each version of their name.

 

Although Darien has mixed paper recycling, which is where the majority of these unwanted catalogs end up, there are more environmentally responsible methods to deal with “junk mail."   Decreasing or, better yet, eliminating this disturbing and wasteful practice takes effort and persistence. Darien Environmental Group has methods and information to assist you in this task.  Why not make a promise to do something about this year-round assault on your mailbox (and to your privacy!)?  Here’s how …

 

In the past, DEG has sent our members a brochure titled: “Please - Take My Name Off Your Mailing List!”  In it, we detail ways in which you can decrease the amount of unwanted junk mail you receive.  We provide addresses and phone numbers of businesses that maintain and sell your name that you may contact.  This is tackling the top level of the process -- the companies that collect, maintain and sell your name(s) to mail order companies, credit card businesses, etc.  To further confront this problem, you should also contact the companies that buy and use your name(s).  Here are some more suggestions that we encourage you to follow --

·         When ordering by mail --

            - Always request that they not sell or rent your name to any other service

            - Ask that they not include another catalog in your shipment

            - Ask to be put on a seasonal mailing list (only 3-4 mailings per year vs. monthly)

 

·         When you receive an unwanted catalog or duplicates of the same one (with your name spelled slightly differently), use their 800 number, and politely insist that they remove your name(s) from their mailing list and that they not make it available to other services.  Be sure to give them the exact spelling of all your “names”.

 

·         Use our boldly stated fluorescent stickers “Please Remove My Name From Your Mailing List” and/or “Do Not Sell Or Rent My Name To Any Other Mailing List” on anything from order forms and warranty/registration cards, to those pre-approved credit card applications, etc.  This is especially useful if the cards or return envelopes already have prepaid postage on them.  Let these intrusive companies pay for your demand (and your right) for your name to be yours alone, not the property of businesses from which to make a profit.

 

·         As a final suggestion, try shopping via the Internet on the World Wide Web.  Virtually every catalog company now has a web-site.  If you are uncomfortable sending your credit card over the Internet you can select your purchases and then phone in your order via the regular 800 number.  Tell the operator you are placing your order based on information from the Web, not a catalog.  If catalog companies receive more sales from the Web they will be compelled to invest more in their web-sites and less in direct mail.

 

Once your request is received and processed, don’t be alarmed if you continue to receive catalogs you’ve contacted.  Mailings are prepared up to two months in advance.  However, if they do not cease after that amount of time, more aggressive measures may have to be taken to stop this harassment.  It’s up to us to send a message to these wasteful companies that they’ve abused the convenience of shopping by mail for today’s extremely busy consumers.  They will not police themselves, especially since that would decrease the amount of profits they stand to make.

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